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NHL PLAYOFFS

NHL notes: Rangers OK with any Stanley Cup opponent

Sunday, June 1, 2014
10:36:01 EDT PM

The New York Rangers pose with the Prince of Whales Trophy after beating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in game six of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. (Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports)

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The Rangers weren’t interested in speculating ahead of Sunday night’s Game 7 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings.

With the Stanley Cup final set to get underway Wednesday night, the Blueshirts didn’t really care where they’d be headed for Game 1 later this week.

“They’ve both played on the big stage,” Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault told the Bergen Record’s Tom Gulitti. “They’ve both won. They have different styles. Obviously, L.A. is a little bit bigger.

“We’ll be able to get our group ready for it.”

Having played in the Western Conference with the Columbus Blue Jackets most of his career, New York’s Rick Nash pointed out that both the Kings and Blackhawks have stars that make it difficult on opponents.

“I played against those teams a lot,” Nash told the Record. “They’ve got guys that can skate. It’ll be tough either way.”

Rangers Centre Derick Brassard echoed that sentiment.

“Every round you’re facing a different team and you’re up for the challenge.”

The Rangers are set to return to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since they beat the Vancouver Canucks in seven games in 1994.

TALBOT, MILLER SIT OUT

New York Rangers No. 2 netminder Cam Talbot sat out practice on Sunday with an unspecified injury.

Along with New York’s Henrik Lundqvist, third-string goalie David Leneveu skated with the Blueshirts ahead of this week’s Stanley Cup final.

The Rangers will travel west ahead of Wednesday night’s Game 1, the club's first return to the Stanley Cup in two decades.

Rangers forward J.T. Miller also missed Sunday’s practice with an upper-body injury, but did skate on his own after being injured in Game 4 of the East final against the Montreal Canadiens.

"I'm under the impression a couple more days here," Miller told NHL.com.

FOR THE RECORD

New York Rangers defenceman Marc Staal is four games away from history.

If he helps guide the NHL’s Eastern Conference champs to their first Stanley Cup since 1994, the Staal brothers – Eric, Jordan and Marc – will become the first trio of brothers to win a Stanley Cup independently as players.

"We've dedicated ourselves as a family to the game," Marc Staal told Newsday. "You're going to be talking about it or watching it with us at some point."

Marc has missed significant time through injury the past few years – first with a concussion and then with a serious eye injury after taking a slap shot to the face.

"We all want to see him get it done," Eric told Newsday. "What he's gone through the past few years ... it's great to see him not just playing for a Cup but being such a big part of it for them."